Linda Carey
I am a Washingtonian from the Seattle area. Both my husband Greg and I are the third generation to live in this beautiful place. My wonderful husband and I have one amazing son, a delightful daughter-in-law, and one genius grandson. (I’m a wife and mom… what can I say?)
My working career was in the field of commercial art. I trained at Seattle Central Community College for two years in their commercial art program. The jobs I have worked were in the periodical publishing field. I did production work, design, layout, and sometimes if I was lucky an illustration!
In the 1980’s my husband Greg, son Eli, and I moved from south Seattle to a small town in the Olympic Peninsula, Port Orchard, Washington. Our home is a stunningly beautiful thirty-minute ferry ride west of Seattle across the Puget Sound. Even though our new home was scenically spectacular, with Mt. Rainier gracing us with its splendor whenever the clouds choose to part, our move put me out of the commercial art field. However,I found the slower pace of country life agreed with my personality.
Around 1990 I took an interest in stained glass, I loved the way they light sparkled through the transparent colors and cast them around the room. I took classes and researched as much as I could and opened a studio. I took mostly commissioned work and taught others this fine old rewarding skill. I also taught drawing to adults and children. I am fascinated to watch the way art captures and changes them.
A little night work in my studio
Gardening and cooking became relaxing hobbies for me. I love dahlias, roses, and anything that sway on a long stem, as long as it’s pink. I also must have baked every bread recipe ever written, though not always successfully.
This short introduction to who I am would not be complete without mentioning music. My love for music. My love for music began when I was small, listening to my grandmother play the piano. She was formally trained as a concert pianist. However, she never played the big stage because she chose to get married an start a family. I especially loved to hear her play the Beethoven sonatas.
When I was about six years old, I was offered accordion lessons. Then in my teenage years, I learned to play the guitar (much cooler!) I played and sang as a solo artist with my high school band and choir as we performed in five countries around the world. Later, I learned the mandolin, and a very unusual instrument, the bass bowed Psaltery, which is a Celtic must-stringed instrument. I have mostly sung and played with churches and worship groups.
After I retired, I decided to explore painting in watercolor. I love to layer one color on top of another just to see the transformation. Even though I have only been painting for a short while, I believe if I had been painting my whole life time. I could barely swing open the mysterious door of watercolors intrinsic beauty.